Author Archives: Bob Ruggiero

About Bob Ruggiero

I am a passionate fan of classic rock (and related music) with nearly 30 years experience writing about it for daily/weekly newspapers and magazines. I am also the author of "Slippin' Out of Darkness: The Story of WAR." Available on Amazon!

Doug Gray of Marshall Tucker Band Still Has the Fire in His Belly (and on the Mountain)

Posted on November 28, 2020

For many people, remembering where they were and what they were doing on any given New Year’s Eve is an effort hampered by time, memory, or alcohol. But Doug Gray recalls exactly where he was more than four decades ago … Continue reading →

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Joe Grushecky: Rock’s Iron Man

Posted on November 17, 2020

It hard to fathom in a time when the push of a button can send the music of an album to the entire country at the same time. But from the ‘60s through the early ‘80s, local rock scenes thrived … Continue reading →

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Who is He? The Silent, Stoic Bassist’s Story is Finally Told

Posted on November 8, 2020

The Ox: The Authorized Biography of John Entwistle by Paul Rees 384 pp., $30, Hatchette Books Every member of the Who has been the subject of a number of biographies and autobiographies save one: bassist John Entwistle. Known as “The … Continue reading →

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Ted Templeman’s Tales: Doobies, Van Halen, and…Frank Sinatra??

Posted on October 25, 2020

Ted Templeman: A Platinum Producer’s Life in Music by Ted Templeman as told to Greg Renoff 450 pp., $19.95, ECW As an introduction to the often misunderstood art of record production, young Ted Templeman could not have found a better … Continue reading →

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Dennis DeYoung Goes Back to Where It All Began

Posted on September 5, 2020

Like all musicians of varying ages, genres, and stages in their career during the Age of Coronavirus, Dennis DeYoung is stuck at home. He’s got a new solo record coming out, but has had to put a planned tour on … Continue reading →

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DVD Review: ZZ Top – That Little Ol’ Band from Texas

Posted on July 18, 2020

ZZ Top: That Little Ol’ Band From Texas 125 mins./DVD + Blu-Ray, $29.98, Eagle Rock Entertainment Last year, the three members of ZZ Top  – singer/guitarist Billy Gibbons, singer/bassist Dusty Hill, and drummer Frank Beard – celebrated 50 years together, … Continue reading →

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How Kansas Returned to “The Point of Know Return”

Posted on June 28, 2020

Kansas guitarist Rich Williams vividly remembers a certain day in 1977 that still has an impact on his life and career in 2019. His band had just finished playing a show in Chicago when they headed for a studio which … Continue reading →

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Janis Joplin Finally Gets the Book She Deserves

Posted on May 24, 2020

Janis: Her Life and Music By Holly George-Warren 400 pp., Simon & Schuster, $28.99 Rock’s first female superstar has already been the subject of a numerous biographies, memoirs by those who loved and worked with her, documentaries, and even a … Continue reading →

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Simon Kirke’s Good Music with Bad Company

Posted on May 14, 2020

It was the middle of 1973, and drummer Simon Kirke’s band was in complete and utter disarray. Though Free had only scored one hit in the U.S. (“All Right Now”) they were a popular concert attraction. But the group had … Continue reading →

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Authors Offer a Texas Flood on the Life and Music of Stevie Ray Vaughan

Posted on April 9, 2020

It’s October 3rd, 2019 when Alan Paul and Andy Aledort – co-authors of the new bio Texas Flood: The Inside Story of Stevie Ray Vaughan – are on the phone. The date is appropriate because it would have been the … Continue reading →

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